It's just as well the title of underdog sits well with this Socceroos team.

Australia mightn’t have been fancied before other games, but save for the opening game of the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals against Germany, their chances haven’t been as disregarded as is the case, in the eyes of many, for this match against Japan.

Of course, building that argument isn’t difficult. This Japanese team - lead by Makoto Hasebe, driven by the Emperor, Yashito Endo, powered by the high-octane wingers Atsuto Uchida and Yuto Nagatomo, and prompted by the magic of Keisuke Honda and Shinji Kagawa - is on track to become Japan’s greatest yet, and still with more to come. In pure football terms, Japan can match it with almost anyone on the planet nowadays.

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The contrast with Australia couldn’t really be more stark. Australia’s golden generation is now only in remnant form; in part both holding onto and holding together Australia’s hopes. Japan’s J-League is pumping out European-level talent seemingly with every beat of its heart. Australia’s boast is far less.

Australia is impatient for another conquering generation. That it hasn’t materialized in time for Saitama is fuelling the anguish at the team’s predicament and anger at the perceived lack of opportunities offered to potential solutions. And whilst I am one who wished for greater experimentation earlier on, the issue is now arguably a fringe one.

Australia’s big competitive issue is the slowdown of players into the big leagues of Europe. At this point, it’s worth acknowledging that the Golden Generation, whether individuals actually played in it or not, was the product of the culture and technique of the National Soccer League. Remembering the NSL started in 1977, it took until 1991 for us really to start seeing the fruits of that investment (FIFA World Youth Cup in Portugal, the Barcelona Olympics).

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Producing players takes time. Not individuals, but volumes of players. The final phase of the NSL was a very depressed one in Australian football. The domestic scene then shutdown whilst FFA planned for the A-League, itself now just eight seasons old. The national youth league is even younger than that. But the building blocks are in place and in time, once again, Australia will be sending boat-loads of keenly sought talent to the refining fires of Europe’s big time.

Whilst that is something certainly to look forward to, it won’t help us in Saitama. There are other factors working for Australia, however. Expectation on Japan is immense and the pressure that comes with that can be corrosive. Australia is certainly Japan’s weak spot. They look at game after game and wonder why, with their technical superiority, they struggle to beat Australia. Their last meeting (1-1 in Brisbane) will only reinforce the fact; after leading Australia by a goal and with an extra man yet still they couldn’t see-off the Socceroos. And then there is the small matter of the Confederations Cup, to be played later this month in Brazil. This is of huge importance for Japan, and requiring just one more point to qualify for the World Cup Finals from its remaining two games. A belief echoed in local circles is that players may be overly mindful of, and not want to jeopardise, the FIFA tournament.

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Rest assured, when the build-up is complete and the players have made their final preparations and as both teams leave their dressing rooms and meet in the tunnel just prior to kick off, the sight of Timmy Cahill et al will bring all these things into very sharp focus for the Blue Samurai.

Of course this all just sets the scene. For Australia to be able to utilize any of these advantages, real or perceived, it’s going to have to play out of its skin. The gulf between the teams is real, but that needn’t defeat Australia.

Opening-up early might, however. Given that of the out-field players only Mile Jedinak (if he’s fit to), Robbie Kruse, Tommy Oar, Luke Wilkshire and Josh Kennedy are really playing at a comparable intensity, it will take a bit of time for the Socceroos to acclimatize to the speed, sharpness and fluidity of Japan. Early discipline is vital. The team must be compact too. Japan’s passing and movement will drag players from their positions, but teammates must adjust and fill-in gaps or else midfield and defense will be breached. It will be relentless from Japan. They will dominate possession. A bulk of that possession will be in Australia’s half and around the penalty area.

Sasa Ognenovski will need to be at his snarling best and Lucas Neill has the stage of Saitama to prove this should still be his gig. Coming and going, bending and stretching, swarming, shuffling and shuttling, the Australian defense will need to be massed, and coordinated and together. Individuals must be focused on their tasks like never before. Battles and duels must at worst be on level-pegging; the scoreboard won’t hold if the unit springs any repeated leaks.

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From that foundation, Australia will have opportunities. Bulgaria showed the other night that in dominating the game, high in the opponent’s territory, Japan can be vulnerable to counter attack. A pointed pass in transition to Robbie Kruse and Australia has a real opportunity. Broken play counter attacking also suits Brett Holman, who if nothing else is fresh from being unused at Aston Villa. But Holman’s street-football knack of pinching an opportunity from nothing could also be Australia’s saviour. His ability to “leg it” with Nagatomo or Uchida, if he plays wide of three midfielders, might be a concern though.

So whilst Japan are white-hot favourites, opportunity for Australia exists. And even if the Socceroos don’t escape with any points, they must leave Saitama with a convincing performance under their belts, in preparation for Jordan and Iraq who wait in the wings. A loss in these circumstances mightn’t be a failure. A poor performance is.

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